Chapter 18
I had time to think while tied to that chair. I had heard that voice before. Unfortunately, I had heard too many new voices in the last few weeks. The other women sat chained to pipes and piers in the basement. They all looked like they had been tied up in the dark for too long. Some of them had lost their spirit to fight a while back. One had been here five months. I wasn't going to give up and I was going to try to instill some fight back into the others. I knew that Jethro and his team would find me. I just hoped it would be soon. I wanted to know a few things. "Do we know who he is?" There was no response. "Does he feed us?" One woman looked at me and nodded yes. That was something. "My name is Natalie, what are yours?" I asked. There were Sandra and Cara, the blondes and the brunettes are Linda, Judy and Felicia. We now could bond and find a way to beat our captor.
Chapter 19
Tony and Tim brought Tom Wesford to the Chesapeake Bay Police Station. Chief Corcoran and Director Vance were waiting there for them. They were going to watch Tony interrogate Constable Wesford. Gibbs had already been in interrogation awaiting the arrival of Tom Wesford.
Tom Wesford was cooling his heels in the Interrogation Room waiting for questioning. He knew how this worked. He was a cop in Richmond for ten years before being let go. He knew he was lucky to have the job of Constable. He had been in this room for about three hours waiting for the powers that be to question him. The door opened and in walked Tony DiNozzo, and Detective Addams of the Metro Police. Chief Corcoran had ceded jurisdiction to Metro and NCIS. He was watching from the observation room on the other side of the glass. Director Vance and Gibbs were also there to watch and add support and more questions if need be. They wanted this man dead to rights, no mistakes.
Tony sat in the chair and started the questioning. "So, Tom, may I call you Tom?" Wesford nodded positive to that. He felt that he had nothing to hide. "So, Tom, where were you last night about ten-fifteen? Maybe you were at the beach? Maybe you were at Dom Sander's beach house?"
Tom looked confused. "I was at home in bed. I was supposed to have the early shift today."
Tony smiled at him and said he knew what early was like. His boss worked real early and stayed real late. Gibbs smiled at that. "Well, Tom, your car has been to the beach. How did it get there without you?"
Detective Addams sat next to Tony and asked, "Where is Natalie Owens?"
Wesford got a confused look on his face. "Who is Natalie Owens?"
Tony became serious with his answer. "She is a lady friend to Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You remember her now?"
Tom had a glimmer of recognition. "I met her on the beach with Jethro and again at the house yesterday afternoon. She's a nice lady."
Tony smiled but Gibbs noticed that it was Tony's 'going in for the kill' smile. "So glad you noticed. If anything happens to her you will be held responsible." He continued. "Come on Tom, help us out here. What do you know about this? Do you know where the other five women are? Do you have any ideas about these crimes? Are the women still alive?"
"I have no idea and I don't understand how my car got to the beach. I haven't been to the beach since going to Dom's house yesterday. I don't know about any of those women and I just met Natalie a few weeks ago. What is going on here?"
Both Tony and Detective Addams were ready for the questions to stop and to get to rescuing the women. "Well it is real funny that you meet Natalie and she starts getting hang up phone calls, threatening letters, and she disappears just like five other women in the last five months. Sounds like a hell of an incredible coincidence doesn't it?"
Tom had a look of confusion.
Chapter 20
Tim was busy trying to triangulate GPS signals from the suspect's phone. For some reason only certain cell towers would ping. Most of them were in a rundown business section of the next town, Ocean Beach Shores.
Abby came out from the kitchen and brought Tim a cup of coffee. "Take a five minute break."
Tim wanted to say no but it was Abby after all. "Ok, just five minutes though."
Abby pulled out her cell phone and began looking through all of her pictures. She came to the ones on the beach with the kites and didn't remember taking them. She had Tim enlarge them on the computer and realized there was a familiar face in one. It was Tom Wesford and it wasn't him at the same time. He was not in uniform and he was scruffy looking. "Tim, start looking into Tom Wesford."
Tim started the background check. They found his birthdate, place of birth, graduation from high school and college, when he was hired by Richmond Police, when he was let go and the reason for it, Clive Wesford. "I better call Gibbs."
Chapter 22
Gibbs sat in observation watching Tom Wesford's interrogation and his gut told him they were looking at the wrong man. He began getting antsy and told Director Vance, "This is going nowhere, he's not our man."
Vance agreed with Gibbs but kept looking at Tom and shook his head. "No he's not, but he knows something."
Gibbs' phone rang. "Gibbs." Tim was calling to tell him about what he and Abby had found. "Keep looking." Gibbs texted Tony "Ask about his brother Clive Wesford."
Tony turned and looked at the mirror and nodded.
Tom, we've been checking out your home. We haven't found anything there but, your car is a different matter. It's been to the beach and we've found four different types of hair and only one is yours. Another is similar to yours but we'll get back to you on that. Gibbs watched his face for signs of recognition or confusion. He was seeing confusion at the moment. The other two hairs are DNA matches to two of the missing women. This could look bad for you, Tom. "The one that is similar belongs to…" Tony waited.
Tom's face turned red with anger.
"Why are you angry Tom? Aren't you working with him?" Tony watched for any sign of collusion.
Tom lost his composure. "No I am not. When did he get out of prison? They were supposed to tell me. He is trying to get back at me for helping Gibbs fourteen years ago."
Tony turned around to look through the mirror at Gibbs.
Chapter 23
Tony walked into observation and gave Gibbs the "what the hell" look he saved for moments like this. "It might have been nice if you told us about Wesford and you, fourteen years ago." Tony's mood had turned icy.
"I needed to be sure, Tony." Gibbs response was filled with sadness. He'd hoped that he'd been wrong. But he wasn't.
"Boss, Natalie is one of the women." Tony didn't understand why Jethro hadn't trusted them with that information. This could have already been over with.
"I know Tony, I know." Gibbs looked lost. It was not a face that Tony or Vance saw often nor did they want to.
Gibbs started talking about the case fourteen years ago. "Clive Wesford kidnapped, raped and brutally murdered five women in 1999. The Richmond Police were having a difficult time finding answers and then another woman was kidnapped and murdered. The sixth woman was Petty Officer Selena Jones. She was home visiting her parents and disappeared on her way back to Norfolk. My partner and I were sent to help with the case. I met Tom Wesford then and always figured he knew more about the case than he let on. We finally got him to help with the apprehension of Clive. I should have been notified that he was being released as well. He did threaten both of us. It appears that he was released seven months ago for good behavior. Ziva and Tim are bringing him in as soon as they find him."
Chapter 24
Clive was at the basement with the women he had snatched. He was delivering food and water to them and he'd left a lot of both. He was locking the door and leaving. He'd created enough trouble for Tom and Jethro Gibbs. It would hurt them both. He never thought about each woman's family as he walked around the basement looking at each one. They were a means to an end for him. Each was a tool in his revenge especially Natalie. He wanted to hurt Gibbs, to make him pay for the last fourteen years of his life. He began with Sandra who was his first victim. He let her loose. You could see the hate in her eyes but she was too weak to act upon it. He went consecutively up the line, releasing each one. The next to the last one was a little livelier and she actually swung at him. He gave her one hard rap and knocked her out. Natalie was next and he cut the rope to the rung of the chair, but nothing else. "One of the others can untie you after I leave." He said. Natalie looked him in the eye and laughed, "You're leaving us food and water, why? You're going to leave us here to die. Why not just let us go?" He sneered, "I'm just giving Gibbs and my brother a bit of a challenge." "Ok ladies, this has been fun but gotta go. Oh, don't open the door or BOOM! See you!"
Clive walked out the door, locked it and set the mechanism for the explosives. As he arrived at his car, which he had parked two blocks from the basement, Ziva tapped him on the shoulder and Tim told him he had to come with them for questioning. He tried to fight to get away but Ziva knocked him out with a round-house kick to the head.
Clive revived on the way back to the Chesapeake Bay police station and he fought Ziva and Tim all the way to interrogation. After a while Ziva kept him subdued with pressure point on the back of his hand. Even so, when they arrived in Interrogation he had a smirk on his face. He could not wait to confront Jethro Gibbs and his brother Tom. He had waited fourteen years for this. He felt self-assured and on top of the world. He waited in that room and smiled the entire time. It began to grate on Director Vance and if it grated on him, Gibbs must be in agony.
Director Vance and Chief Corcoran walked into Interrogation and Clive had his first taste of worry. Where was Gibbs? It's not supposed to be like this. Then he realized Gibbs had to be behind the mirror. Vance asked the first question, "Where are the women you kidnapped?"
Clive's face took on a look of victory. "Somewhere…safe."
Jim Corcoran wanted this done. His town had lived through this pain twice now. He wanted Clive put away for good with no chance at parole. "Why are you doing this again?"
Clive rotated in his chair to sneer at Corcoran. "It was so much fun the last time that I had to do it again. There were a few more incentives this time though. Gibbs and Tom will suffer for what they did to me."
Leon Vance kept his cool and prodded their suspect to get more from him. "They only did what needed to be done and we will do it again."
Clive laughed a harsh laugh. "I won't be going back. There will be no evidence to show I had anything to do with this."
Vance gave and equally sharp laugh but stopped smiling half way through it. "You sound very sure of that, but we do have evidence already."
Behind the mirror, Gibbs was beginning to lose his cool. Natalie was depending on him to find her and the other five women and free them. They all needed his help. Their families were either still hoping or mourning the loss of their loved one. He couldn't let this go on. Tony was standing at his bosses shoulder and watched the pain as Clive just blustered on. He was worried about Jethro. This case hit way to close to home.
Gibbs' phone range and Tim said they may have a location where the women may be being held. He read the location to Gibbs.
Gibbs shared the information with Tony and told him to text Vance, "Tell him to keep Clive busy. We may have found the women. Get Tim, Abby and any other policemen or policewomen you can gather and meet Ziva and me at the location."
Tony looked confused. "Why are we bringing Abby?"
Gibbs started out of the room and turned to look at Tony. "These women may not want a man to touch them."
Vance came into the hall as Gibbs was leaving. "Bring those women home, Gibbs." Gibbs just nodded and ran.